This invention relates to digital data processing and, more particularly, to the use of file comparison tools.
A file comparison tool is a tool that determines differences between the content of two files. Each time the file comparison tool is invoked, a user must select the two files being compared. Thus, invoking a file comparison tool typically requires multiple keystrokes. A first keystroke is required to invoke the file comparison tool. A second and third keystroke is required to select each of the two files.
The file comparison tool can be used on files that are managed by a software configuration management (SCM) system. A SCM system manages source files for one or more software development projects. A developer can download a version of the files from the SCM system and later download an updated version of the previously downloaded files. A file comparison tool can be used to determine differences between the two downloaded versions.